Fargo, N.D., USA -- Twelve food processors and food brokers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand were at Northern Crops Institute (NCI) last week to learn more about the uses of dry edible beans in food products. The course focused on U.S. pinto, navy, black, great northern, and kidney beans. The U.S. is the 5th largest producer of dry edible beans worldwide. North Dakota and Minnesota produce nearly 50% of the dry edible beans grown in the USA.

“The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a growing economic power and consumers from this region have unique trends,” says Mehmet Tulbek, Ph.D., NCI Technical Director and lecturer in the course. “Due to the joint efforts of Northern Crops Institute and the U.S. Dry Bean Council during the last three years, we have reached several companies in the region. We are hoping that our work will increase the edible bean sales to the region.”

The participants also toured a Wal-Mart store, the NDSU Greenhouses and NDSU Edible Bean Breeding Field Plots, SK Food Specialty Processing facility in Moorhead, Minn., and their corporate offices in Fargo. The group also met with the staff of North Dakota Trade Office, Fargo.